Improvement in bustles



. W. THOMAS.

Bustles.

ituzam':

.UNITED STATES AMOS W. THOMAS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

lMPRovEMENT IN BusTLEs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 128,337, dated June 25, 1872.

Specication describing anew and Improved Bustle, invented by AMos W. THOMAS, of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania.

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of my improved bustle. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of the same through the middle. Fig. 3 is a top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate correspondin g parts.

My invention has for its object to improve the construction of bustles or tournures of the class iu which horizontal bows are connected with a continuous or circular rim; and the invention consists,.mainly, in the arrangement of braces for supporting the bustle upon the hips of the wearer, as hereinafter described.

A in the drawing represents the waistband. B 151132133134155 are the bows, in suitable number. The ends of all these bows are secured to a stitl' curved rim or border piece, O, whose ends are attached to and suspended from the sides of the waistband. The upper two, three, or four bows, having to support the greater weight of the dress, are braced at or near the middle by inclined wires b, b1, b2, b3, &c.,whose lower ends are secured to a' wire, b4, which is suspended from the waistband. The lowermost wire, b3, is a continuation of b4, and is further extended along the inner or outer sides of the lower bows, as at b5, its lower end connecting with the rim G, as shown.; Where two sets 'of such bracing-wires, b b1 b2 b3 b4 b5, are used, as in the drawing, the bustle is made strong and durable without losing its elasticity.

For persons having small hips, additional bracing-wires similar to the above may be applied to the sides of the waistband. Thev waistband is stift'ened between the upper ends of the rim O bya spring, D, connected with it, as shown in Fig. 3. This will help to sustain the bustle in shape even under a heavy dress, and will prevent one side or the other from sagging and making thegure unshapely.

a a are cords or strings connecting the several bows above and in line with the springbrace b5. They may be m or less drawn to regulate the rounding or bulge of the bustle.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is l The braces b3 b4 b5, made in one piece, and combined with the braces b b1 b2, applied to the bows B B1 B2 of a bustle, substantially as shown and described.

Witnesses. AMOS W. THOMAS.

T. B. MosHER, W. A. GRAHAM. 

